Pups Save A Child Bride
by Elias Vincent
Summary: A 12 year old girl named Virginia Nightingale escapes from the compound of a polygamous cult her family belongs to in order to avoid an illegal marriage to her grandfather & the cult's leader Gregory. Where will Virginia go & will she be able to break free from the cult?


**PUPS SAVE A CHILD BRIDE**

 **I DON'T OWN PAW PATROL ONLY MY OC'S**

The sun rose on a clear Wednesday morning. In a compound building a few miles out of Adventure bay a 12-year-old girl named Virginia Nightingale woke up. She was scared because of the wedding taking place that day. Normally a wedding would've been a happy occasion, but the reason Virginia was scared was because she was the bride. The groom was a 70-year-old man named Gregory Nightingale who was also Virginia's grandfather. Gregory had already married 4 women that were in their 20's & 30's but he never divorced any of them. Gregory, Virginia, the 4 other wives & the rest of their family & friends all belonged to a polygamous cult formed by Gregory called God's Family. Gregory believed that the more women a man married the closer to God in spirit he, his family & friends would be. Ever since Gregory announced that Virginia would be his 5TH wife she had been desperately trying to find a way to escape. She didn't share the same beliefs the other God's Family members did & hoped that 1 day she'd be able to escape & not be forced into living a life she never wanted.

" _Today could very well be the last chance I have of breaking free. I don't want to be married. I'm only 12. Grandpa has no idea what he's doing. No matter how many times I've tried to reason with him he won't listen. Everyone else in this compound has been brainwashed by him into thinking that what he's doing is right. The 1_ _ST_ _chance I get I'm going to escape. I don't care if I die trying. I'd prefer that over being married to my own grandfather any day"_ thought Virginia as she got out of bed & looked out the window. She could see the sun rising over a clear sky. The sight of the meadow surrounding the compound made Virginia long to be free & be able to live life the way she wanted. Unfortunately, it wasn't very easy trying to escape. Every night all the doors in the compound were locked & during the day all the exits were heavily guarded by adult men in the cult to prevent anyone sneaking out. Except for the bathroom windows all the windows had metal bars placed in front of them so that nobody could break through & run away. The reason that the bathroom windows were left unguarded was because Gregory believed nobody would be able to fit through them & escape. Virginia planned to break through the bathroom window & escape as soon as she got the chance.

" _If all goes well I'll be able to escape. Grandpa might think he has everyone under complete control but he's wrong. Once I leave I'm never coming back. I don't care if everyone comes looking for me. I'll make sure they don't bring me back. They have no control over me outside the compound & I'll make sure that they never force me into a life of servitude"_ thought Virginia as she waited for an opportunity to escape. Soon her door was unlocked revealing her grandfather Gregory. He had white hair, pale skin, grey eyes & wore a blue long sleeve button up shirt, long black pants & black shoes. Virginia had black hair, tan skin, green eyes & was wearing a cream coloured dress that covered almost every part of her body. Gregory walked over to her & stroked her face while smiling. Virginia felt uncomfortable by this.

"You look lovely today my dear. I can't wait to see what you look like when you walk down the aisle in a few hours" said Gregory as he kissed Virginia on the forehead.

"Grandpa please don't make me do this. I don't want to get married. I'm too young" said Virginia as she began to tear up.

"Don't question me Virginia. I know what's best for you. As your husband I will teach you to be obedient. If you don't go through with this, you'll be bringing shame upon all of us. I expect you to obey me the way I obey God. If you don't there will be severe consequences" said Gregory as he glared menacingly at Virginia. She continued to cry as Gregory took her out of the room & down the hallway. Virginia wanted to run but she knew that it wasn't the right moment for her to make an escape. Gregory & Virginia then arrived at another room where Gregory's 4 other wives waited. Their names were Abigail, Glenda, Melissa & Rosemarie. All of them were dressed in white long dresses & had their hair tied back. As soon as they saw Virginia they smiled warmly. All of them were excited to get her dressed for the wedding.

"There you are Virginia. You're going to look beautiful once we get you dressed" said Abigail as she smiled excitedly.

"Do I really have to do this? It's not what I want" said Virginia in a nervous voice.

"Everything will be fine. We'll all help you adjust to your new life" said Glenda in a reassuring tone.

"I'm only 12. That's way too young for a person to get married. I'm not ready" said Virginia as she shook nervously.

"Cheer up Virginia. Today is a happy occasion" said Melissa in a cheerful manner.

"Not for me it isn't. I can't do this" said Virginia as she teared up.

"Yes, you can. Let's get you dressed" said Rosemarie as she & the other wives changed Virginia out of her normal dress into the wedding dress designed for her. It was a long white dress with no sleeves that came with a veil for the head. After Virginia was dressed she was given a bouquet of flowers to hold. Gregory had left to get himself ready for the wedding. Believing that it was time to escape Virginia set her plan into motion.

"I have to use the bathroom. I can't hold it in" said Virginia as she crouched down & acted as if she was about to soil herself.

"I'll take you to the bathroom. The last thing we need is for you to ruin your dress on your big day" said Abigail as she took Virginia to the bathroom. Once they arrived Virginia locked herself in as Abigail stood by the door. Virginia then took off her high heels & began banging them against the window trying to break them. Abigail became concerned when she heard the banging.

"Virginia are you OK?" asked Abigail in a concerned voice.

"Yes. Everything's fine. I'm trying to get rid of a bug on the window" said Virginia as she continued banging on the window with her stiletto heels. A few moments later the glass began to crack. After a few more attempts Virginia managed to break away a sizeable shard of glass. As she carefully tried to remove as much glass from the window as possible to escape Abigail began banging on the door.

"Virginia open the door. You're obviously not OK. What happened?" asked Abigail in a frantic voice as she attempted to open the door to the bathroom.

"I'm OK. I killed the bug but in the process the window broke. I'll be out soon" said Virginia as she continued removing the glass from the window. Soon all the shards had been pushed out allowing Virginia to crawl through the opening. Abigail continued knocking on the door trying to get it open, but it didn't work. Virginia climbed out through the window & jumped to the ground. The only thing now separating her from freedom was an electric fence that surrounded the compound. Luckily for her it was the type of fence that could be dug under. Virginia wasted no time digging in the dirt trying to make a hole big enough for her to crawl through without being zapped by the fence. After a few minutes of digging she managed to crawl under the fence to safety. As soon as she got on the other side of the fence she began running through the meadow hoping that the other cult members wouldn't catch her.

" _Finally, I'm free. I must find somewhere that I can hide. It's the only way I can avoid being taken back to the compound. The further away I get from the compound the better"_ thought Virginia as she ran as fast as she could away from the compound. She looked behind her every 10 seconds to make sure nobody was after her. Luckily, she couldn't hear or see anyone coming. The tall grass in the meadow also helped to keep her out of sight. 10 minutes later she found herself approaching a sign that read:

"Adventure Bay 5M"

Seeing that Adventure Bay was the nearest town to her location Virginia continued running. She had no idea how far ahead of the rest of the cult she was, but she was determined not to let them catch her.

" _I don't care if my lungs start to feel like they're on fire. I'm not going to stop running until I find a place to hide. Hopefully once I reach Adventure Bay I'll be able to find help. I bet someone will gladly help me"_ thought Virginia as she breathed heavily while continuing to run. Although she was starting to feel out of breath there was no way she was going to slow down. Eventually she saw Adventure Bay in the distance.

"Perfect. I'd like to see the rest of the cult find me in town. It'll be like trying to find a needle in a haystack" said Virginia as she continued to run. As soon as she entered town she began looking all around for someone that could help her. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anyone in the streets. Eventually exhaustion took over & she dropped to her knees in the middle of the road trying to catch her breath.

"This isn't good. I don't know where else I can go. All I can do now is hope that something happens that allows me to evade capture. Anything would be better than that" said Virginia as she tried to catch her breath. A few minutes later she spotted a car coming towards her. It was Elias' limo. As soon as he saw it she got to her feet & signalled for it to stop. Pasquale slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting her as Angel, Elias & Kelly looked at each other in confusion. Before anything could be said Virginia hopped in the limo & shut the door.

"Who are you?" asked Elias in a confused voice.

"I'll explain in a moment. Wherever you're going please take me with you. I'm not safe" said Virginia in a panicked tone. Elias signalled for Pasquale to keep driving. As he did so Angel, Elias & Kelly asked Virginia what was going on.

"What's your name?" asked Angel.

"Virginia Nightingale. I'm 12 years old" said Virginia.

"Do you need help with anything? You seem to be a bit upset" said Elias in a concerned tone.

"I just escaped from the compound I've been living at my entire life. Everyone else in that compound is part of a polygamous cult called God's Family. My grandfather Gregory is the leader of the cult & he's trying to marry me. I ran away to avoid such a dreadful fate" said Virginia in a shaky voice. Angel, Elias & Kelly gasped in horror. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"That's horrible. I didn't even know there was a cult like that anywhere near here" said Kelly in shock.

"They're a very secretive group. Contact with the outside world is extremely limited. That's probably why you've never heard of it" said Virginia.

"You don't have to worry anymore. They're not going to take you back there" said Angel.

"We'll make sure we find you a safe place for you to live. Stick with us" said Elias.

"If those twisted lunatics try to take you away we'll do everything we can to stop them" said Kelly.

"Thanks guys. What are your names?" asked Virginia in a curious tone.

"I'm Elias. This is my pup Angel & my girlfriend Kelly" said Elias as he smiled & shook Virginia's hand.

"Nice to meet you. Where are you going?" asked Virginia with uncertainty in her voice.

"We're going to school. You'll be safe there. The cult you escaped from would never think to look for you there" said Kelly in a reassuring voice.

"Excellent. Hopefully today's the day I start living a more independent life" said Virginia as she & the others headed to school. As soon as they arrived & got out of the limo all the other kids swarmed around them wanting autographs & selfies. As Elias signed autographs & took selfies Virginia inquired about what was going on.

"Is this normal for you?" asked Virginia.

"Yes. I'm an actor, musician, philanthropist & the owner of a few venues here in town. I don't suppose you've ever heard of me before have you?" asked Elias.

"No. Because of the seclusion of the cult we had extremely strict limitations on the movies, music & TV shows we could watch. Does it ever feel overwhelming having so much attention all the time?" asked Virginia.

"Sometimes. Even so I do the best I can to avoid lashing out when I wish to have some space. The fans are the people that help me make the money which goes towards many things that help less fortunate people in the world" said Elias as he finished signing autographs & taking selfies.

"Fair enough" said Virginia.

Soon the bell rang signalling the start of the school day. Angel, Elias & Kelly headed to their lockers with Virginia beside them. Everyone else stared curiously at Virginia not knowing who she was or why she was wearing a wedding dress.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" asked Virginia as she looked around feeling uncomfortable.

"I think they're just curious about who you are. Don't think about it. You'll be fine here" said Elias in a soothing voice. After retrieving their stuff for 1ST period Angel, Elias & Kelly headed to class. Virginia stayed with them as she felt safe having them around. They had Music with Miss Melody. When everyone arrived at class Miss Melody inquired about Virginia.

"Are you a new student?" asked Miss Melody in a curious voice.

"No, I'm actually hiding. My family are part of a polygamous cult that want me to marry my grandfather. I ran away to avoid that from happening" said Virginia.

Everyone in class gasped in horror. They were all shocked to hear about Virginia's situation.

"What's your name?" asked Miss Melody.

"Virginia Nightingale. The name of the cult I escaped from is called God's Family. They live in a compound a few miles out of town where contact with the outside world is almost completely non-existent. I hope that today I can finally break free & live a better life. In case you're wondering I'm 12" said Virginia.

"Don't worry you'll be safe here. I'm not going to let your family abuse & control you like that" said Miss Melody in a reassuring voice.

"Thanks" said Virginia.

"OK class for today's lesson you'll be studying some song lyrics & each of you will be given a different part to sing. You'll have all lesson to practice" said Miss Melody as she handed out sheets with the song lyrics on them. Everyone began looking through the lines of the song not knowing which part they'd sing. Elias practiced through the entire song making sure to get the emotion & tone right with each note. Miss Melody was his vocal coach who gave him important advice on singing which came in handy when he was in the recording booth making hit songs. Her help was always appreciated & Elias couldn't thank her enough for the advice she gave him. Virginia was impressed. She'd never heard such lovely singing before.

"You're really good. You must practice a lot" said Virginia as she smiled in amazement.

"I sure do. Miss Melody helps me using various techniques that allow me to sing to the best of my ability. She's the best music teacher I've ever had" said Elias with a smile.

"Agreed. Whichever line you sing you'll do great on" said Virginia in an encouraging voice. Elias smiled warmly at Virginia. She was a lovely girl & he knew that she deserved a better life away from her family.

" _Even though I just met Virginia I think she's sweet. I'm going to make sure me & everyone else do everything in our power to let Virginia live freely. What her family are trying to do to her is wrong. Obviously, they don't understand that no means no. 1 way or another we won't let them take Virginia away. She belongs here with us & not with twisted fools like them"_ thought Elias as he & the others continued practicing with the song. Eventually Miss Melody revealed who'd be singing what part of the song. Elias was given the chorus which nobody was surprised by since he had a good voice. Everyone then spent the rest of rehearsal time singing the lines Miss Melody had assigned to them. Soon it was time to perform. Everyone lined up in order they would sing so that nobody would be confused as to who sang what line. Everyone sang to the best of their ability trying to hit the right notes with the matching emotion & tone. Overall Miss Melody was impressed with how well everyone did.

"Well done everyone. All of you sang beautifully. You've all made me proud" said Miss Melody as she smiled happily. Everyone felt good that they made Miss Melody proud. Soon the bell rang signalling the beginning of next class. Virginia stayed with Elias since she trusted him to keep her safe. During 2ND period Virginia explained what was going on to everyone in class which shocked them all. Throughout class Elias did his best to get his work done but at the same time he couldn't stop thinking about what'd happen to Virginia.

" _I have absolutely no idea whether or not Virginia's family will find her. If they do there's no way they're taking her back. She's made it clear that she's unwilling to go through with their plans for her. I don't know where they are or if they're in town looking for Virginia right now, but the longer Virginia stays away from them the better. Everyone in this town will fight hard to make sure Virginia earns freedom"_ thought Elias as he continued to do his work. Eventually recess came around. All the kids went out to the playground laughing & smiling as they ran around. Virginia looked all around for any sign of her family while out in the playground. She planned to hide if she saw any of them approach.

" _Right now, hiding from my family is the only way I can avoid them. I'll have no problem fighting them off if I must. Now that I'm surrounded by people who are happy to help me I feel a lot safer than before. It means I have people who are willing to stick up for me. That's something I've never experienced before. For the 1_ _ST_ _time in my life I feel like there are people out there who truly care for me. If all goes well, I'll be able to live here peacefully without having to worry about my family"_ thought Virginia as she observed every passing car & person that went by. She remained there all through recess keeping a sharp eye on everyone. Luckily, she didn't spot any of the cult members near the area. Once recess ended she went with Elias to the next class. He had Homeroom with Miss Spearwood. Like the 1ST 2 periods she thought at 1ST Virginia was a new student.

"Hello & welcome to Adventure Bay Elementary. Are you a new student?" asked Miss Spearwood as she smiled politely.

"No, I'm hiding from my family. My name is Virginia Nightingale" said Virginia as she told Miss Spearwood about what was going on. Miss Spearwood gasped in horror after hearing about what Virginia's family were trying to do to her.

"That's awful. You're welcome to stay here as long as you wish" said Miss Spearwood in a sympathetic voice.

"Thanks. I'm not leaving this place anytime soon" said Virginia.

"You can sit by my desk today. Anyways for today's lesson I'd like you all to fill in the work packages I'm about to hand out. You have all period to complete them" said Miss Spearwood as she gave the students their workbooks. They all contained different activities including word search puzzles, crosswords, number puzzles & riddles. Everyone got to work on the puzzles in their packages trying to complete them as fast as possible. Virginia sat at the spare desk next to Miss Spearwood where she sat quietly. Even though there wasn't much for her to do she was glad that her family was still unaware of her location.

" _It wouldn't come as a surprise whatsoever if my family were still trying to find me. Those fools can search all they want but whether they find me or not I'm staying here. I'm never going back to a place that forbids me from having any freedom. I'd rather die than go back to the compound. I guarantee that they'll never take me alive"_ thought Virginia as she continued to sit quietly while watching everyone do their work. Soon enough the lesson ended leading to the beginning of 4TH period. By this point just about everyone in school knew about Virginia's situation. None of them were about to let her be forced into an illegal marriage her family was trying to make her go through with. When lunch rolled around Virginia sat with Elias, Kelly & their friends. She felt safe with them around.

"It feels good knowing that I'm with you guys. Safety in numbers is always important" said Virginia with a warm smile.

"Indeed. How many other people are in the cult you escaped from?" asked Ace in a curious voice.

"There's about 60 people including myself. Most of us are family while the rest are close family friends" said Virginia.

"Is it normal for your grandfather to decide who gets married within the cult?" asked Carlos.

"Yes. He controls everything. Everyone else blindly follows every command he gives them. I'm probably the only 1 who isn't brainwashed into believing that he's the prophet of God" said Virginia as she sighed in disappointment.

"Has anyone else ever tried to escape?" asked Danny.

"Not that I know of. As far as I know I'm the 1ST & so far only person to ever escape. I'm not about to let them reclaim me" said Virginia as she sneered in disgust at the thought of being returned to the compound.

"I promise you right now we're not letting anyone take you back to that horrible place. What your family is trying to do is illegal. We all have your back" said Katie in a confident voice.

"I bet everyone in school is more than happy to help you break free from the cult & allow you to find happiness" said Mayabella in a hopeful tone.

"Everything will be fine. You're going to be OK Virginia" said Ryder with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks guys. I appreciate the help" said Virginia as she smiled gratefully at everyone. It felt good knowing that they all cared about her wellbeing. Suddenly a large group of adults & children entered the cafeteria. Virginia gasped in horror upon seeing who they were. It was her family & their friends.

"Oh no it's them. What do we do?" asked Virginia in a nervous voice.

"They're not getting anywhere near you that's fore sure" said Angel as Virginia's family & their friends spotted her & walked over to where she was.

"Virginia Nightingale how dare you disobey both me & God. You're coming home with us right now" said Gregory as he glared angrily at Virginia.

"NO. I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU" yelled Virginia as she backed away from the rest of the cult.

"I don't understand Virginia. Today's your wedding day. You should be happy" said Abigail in a confused voice.

"What you're doing is illegal. There are 3 separate laws you're breaking right now: Bigamy/polygamy, illegal child marriage & incest. God would never approve of such a hideous crime against a child" said Elias as he glared angrily at the cult.

"Silly boy. You know not of what God wants. I'm his messenger. He tells me everything" said Gregory.

"I refuse to let you poison my mind with your delusions. To believe in God is to believe in equal treatment, family, friendship, happiness & love. I believe in God & you're not his messenger. I might not be a hugely religious person, but God would never approve of what you're trying to do to your own granddaughter. You're going to burn in hell for the sins you've committed. God will judge you on your misdeeds & have Satan do whatever he wants with you. I'm proud to be a Christian. Unless you pray for forgiveness & repent for your sinning you'll be sentenced to eternal damnation" said Elias.

"Foolish child. You're missing the point. The more women you marry the closer to God & heaven you get. Virginia will help me get closer to both" said Gregory.

"No, she won't. You better get out of here or else we'll call the police & have you all arrested for your crimes" said Kelly in a harsh voice.

"That's enough. Let's go Virginia" said Abigail as she went to grab Virginia.

"GET AWAY FROM ME. LEAVE ME ALONE" yelled Virginia as she pushed Abigail back. Gregory ordered the cult to seize Virginia so that he'd be able to make her his wife. Virginia ran around the cafeteria doing everything she could to avoid capture. All the kids came to her aid by throwing food at the cult, tripping them up & laying into them with punches & kicks. The cult tried to fight back but they were severely outnumbered by the student body & quickly overpowered.

"YOU FOOLS. YOU'RE RUINING GOD'S PLAN" yelled Gregory as he & the rest of the cult tried to escape the kids' wrath.

"GO TO HELL SINNERS" yelled the student body as they continued their attack. The commotion eventually attracted Principal Summers' attention. She entered the cafeteria wanting to know what was going on.

"What's with all the ruckus?" asked Principal Summers.

"My grandfather, our family & their friends are trying to marry me off to him. I'm only 12. Don't let them take me away" said Virginia in a desperate voice.

"Is that true? Are you seriously trying to force a preteen girl into an illegal marriage?" asked Principal Summers in an outraged tone.

"That's what God wants. She must be my wife" said Gregory.

"I refuse to let you go through with this. You, your family & friends better get off the premises or else I'm calling the police" said Principal Summers as she glared at the cult.

"We're not leaving without Virginia" said Gregory in a defiant voice.

"She's not going anywhere with you. If you're not off the premises by the count of 10 the police will be called" said Principal Summers as she began counting to 10. None of the cult members moved as they glared defiantly at Principal Summers. After reaching 10 & realising that the cult refused to give up so easily Principal Summers called the police.

"You had your chance. Soon you'll all be taken away by the police" said Principal Summers in a blunt manner.

"You bitch. God will punish you for thwarting his plan. You'll be sorry" said Gregory as he growled in anger. Soon the police showed up & arrested all the members of the God's Family cult. The adult members were all taken to jail charged with numerous crimes that'd likely have them locked up for the rest of their lives, the adolescent children were taken to juvenile detention where they'd stay until the age of 18 after which the courts would decide whether to transfer them to adult jail or a different facility depending on whether they'd be rehabilitated & the younger children were placed in special foster homes that'd serve as a rehabilitation home for each of them. After the cult was taken away Virginia cheered in delight. She was happy to finally be free.

"I thought this day would never come. Thank you everyone for helping me earn my freedom" said Virginia as she cried tears of joy.

"Whenever you're in trouble just yelp for help" said Ryder as he smiled reassuringly. Everyone gave Virginia a hug letting her know that she was OK & how she'd be able to live a better life. The rest of school passed by as normal with everyone thinking about how crazy the day had been & how glad they were that Virginia was safe. After school finished for the day Virginia joined Angel, Elias & Kelly as they headed to the Lookout to play with Ryder & the pups.

"I bet the pups will love you Virginia. I can't wait for you to meet them" said Angel as she smiled excitedly.

"Me either. Now that I'm free I feel like I've lifted a huge weight off my shoulders" said Virginia with a satisfied smile.

"Now that you're away from the cult where do you plan to live?" asked Elias in a curious voice.

"I haven't really thought about that. I'm sure I'll think of something" said Virginia.

"If you need help we can try & see where there's any available houses in town for you to live in" said Kelly.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind" said Virginia as Angel, Elias, Kelly & herself arrived at the Lookout. Ryder & the pups were waiting for them.

"You must be Virginia. Nice to meet you. I'm Chase" said Chase as he smiled & extended his paw. Virginia smiled as she shook Chase's paw.

"It's nice to meet you all. You're all really cute" said Virginia as she petted the pups.

"Ryder told us everything. I can't believe your family would try & force you to marry your grandfather. It sounds too crazy to be real" said Marshall in a shocked voice.

"I'll say. Truth is stranger than fiction after all" said Virginia.

"Indeed. I'm just glad that you broke away from that cult. Otherwise you'd be stuck living a life you didn't want" said Rocky

"Until today I thought I'd never be able to live life the way I wanted. Now that nobody is controlling every aspect of my life I can start making my own decisions" said Virginia in a hopeful tone.

"Nobody should ever have to make you feel inferior. Your life will no longer be troubled with adults micromanaging everything you do" said Rubble in a reassuring manner.

"That's right. Anyways what should we do now?" asked Virginia with uncertainty in her voice.

"Perhaps we could arrange for a town meeting. That'll help determine where you can live" said Skye as she smiled & wagged her tail excitedly.

"Good idea. Where do we need to go for that?" asked Virginia.

"Mayor Goodway's office. Let's go" said Zuma as he & the others headed to city hall. As soon as they arrived they found Mayor Goodway out the front with Chickaletta who was in Mayor Goodway's handbag pecking on a corn cob.

"Hello everyone. What can I do for you?" asked Mayor Goodway as she smiled warmly at everyone.

"I'm trying to find a new home. My name is Virginia Nightingale. I'm 12 years old & this morning I escaped from a cult called God's Family that my family & their friends belonged to. We were hoping that a town meeting would be arranged for this purpose" said Virginia.

"That can be done. I'll have it arranged for 5:00. See you then" said Mayor Goodway as she went inside to plan out the town meeting. Everyone then headed to the park to play while waiting for the meeting. They all laughed & smiled as they ran around having a good time. Virginia had never felt this happy before. For the 1ST time in her life she felt like she could do what most other kids got to do every day.

" _This is the kind of life I prefer. If only I could've escaped sooner. All my life I longed to just be a normal kid. Until now I thought that was just a dream that'd never come true. In a way this is kind of like my own happy ending. If all goes well my life will be much better than it was living in the compound"_ thought Virginia as she happily played with the others. Soon enough it was 5:00. Everyone in town gathered at city hall for the meeting. Virginia stood next to Mayor Goodway as she addressed the crowd.

"Hello Adventure Bay. I hope you've all been having a good day. I called this meeting because this young girl needs a new home. Her name is Virginia Nightingale. She's 12 years old & escaped from the cult her family belonged to this morning. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where she can live?" asked Mayor Goodway in a curious voice.

"I'd be more than happy to adopt her. She'll have everything she needs with me" said Miss Spearwood as she raised her hand. Virginia smiled excitedly. She was touched at Miss Spearwood's offer.

"Very well. If you'd like to come forward Miss Spearwood I can have you sign the official documents to allow you to legally adopt Virginia" said Mayor Goodway.

"With pleasure" said Miss Spearwood as she walked over to where Mayor Goodway & Virginia were standing. Miss Spearwood wasted no time signing the paperwork. Upon completing it she was declared Virginia's adopted mother. Virginia's last name was also changed to Spearwood.

"Thank you so much for this. You're the best" said Virginia as she gave Miss Spearwood a hug.

"You're welcome. I've always wanted a child of my own but since I haven't found the right man to have a child with I suppose adoption is the next best thing" said Miss Spearwood as she smiled warmly at Virginia.

"That concludes this meeting. You're all free to go" said Mayor Goodway.

Everyone proceeded to head home & settle down for the night. When Miss Spearwood & Virginia arrived home, Miss Spearwood showed Virginia around so that she'd get used to her surroundings. Virginia was amazed by how neat & tidy Miss Spearwood's house was compared to the compound that her biological family lived at.

"This house is beautiful. I'm going to love living with you Miss Spearwood" said Virginia in an excited tone.

"You can call me mum if you want. Anyways let's get dinner sorted" said Miss Spearwood as she & Virginia went into the kitchen to make dinner. They decided to have some chicken casserole with mashed potato. As they cooked dinner the delightful aroma of the food filled the kitchen making them feel euphoric. After dinner had finished cooking Miss Spearwood & Virginia sat at the table & tucked in. The casserole had a burst of flavour that made their mouths water & the mashed potato complimented the dish with its fluffy texture. Miss Spearwood & Virginia happily ate dinner together before putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher & going to watch TV.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" asked Miss Spearwood.

"OK. Let's see what there is" said Virginia as Miss Spearwood & herself looked through the DVD collection. They ultimately decided to watch Home Alone. They laughed & smiled throughout the movie as they watched a young boy outwit a pair of thieves with all kinds of creative booby traps. After the movie finished they decided to turn in for the night. After bathing/showering Miss Spearwood retrieved a spare mattress, pillow & blanket for Virginia to sleep on.

"The 1ST opportunity we get we'll go shopping for your bedroom. Goodnight Virginia" said Miss Spearwood as she kissed Virginia on the forehead.

"Goodnight mum" said Virginia as Miss Spearwood turned off the light & closed the door to the room. As Virginia lay awake in bed she thought about how glad she was to have escaped from the compound.

" _Now that I'm away from the cult my life can have a new beginning to it. I can already tell that Miss Spearwood will be a better parental figure than anyone in my biological family. I might not be related to her, but I'd rather be her daughter than grandpa's wife. Everyone in this town was nice to help me break free & I can't thank them enough for it. I look forward to whatever great times we'll have in the future"_ thought Virginia as she fell asleep.

 **THE END**


End file.
